The new report argues that defeating the scourge of religious extremism will only be possible once we grasp the scale of the challenge. The two deadly attacks in Belgium's capital Brussels reminded us that this is a global problem.

The Centre on Religion & Geopolitics (CRG) tracks violent and non-violent incidents of religious extremism, and responses to it, around the world. Read the details of the CRG's second issue of their new monthly Global Extremism Monitor. Their data show that in February 2016, at least 3,405 lives were lost as some 22 religious extremist groups instigated violence across the world and states battled to defeat them. Among the dead were 1,620 militants, 660 members of the security forces, and 936 civilians.

The CRG Monitor recorded 647 incidents in 54 countries, including both extremist and counter-extremist activities, in February. This included major non-state counter-extremism efforts, such as the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' launch of a commission on countering violent extremism.

The CRG's findings are a low estimate, based on open source data in English. CRG's analysts were careful to include only incidents they were sure counted as religious extremism. As in their January report, much of the violence we recorded was outside the Middle East and North Africa. Only 52 per cent was in the region. Thirty-four per cent was in sub-Saharan Africa, and 13 per cent in Central and South Asia.

ISIS was by far the deadliest extremist group, killing at least 1,123 in at least 69 attacks. By contrast, al-Qaeda killed 176 people in 43 assaults.

Fewer than half of the global fatalities in the battle against religious extremism occurred in the Middle East and North Africa; 39 per cent were in sub-Saharan Africa. In Somalia alone, we recorded 38 attacks by al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab.

The world's attention on the Syrian civil war rightly noted the fall in violence as a partial truce came into effect at the end of the month. In fact, few attacks in February made headlines like January's high-profile assaults in Jakarta and Istanbul. Yet globally, the deadly threat of religious extremism remained.

Although Cuba's constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion, the government actively monitors religious groups, and the Cuban Communist Party, through its Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), controls many aspects of religious life, according to the latest U.S. State Department report on international religious freedom.

The report documents government harassment of outspoken religious leaders and their followers, which include reports of beatings, threats, detentions, and restrictions on travel. The report notes that religious leaders also are experiencing tightened controls on financial resources. Nevertheless, religious groups reported a continued increase in the ability of their members to conduct some charitable and educational projects, such as operating after-school and community service programs, and maintaining small libraries of religious materials, including fewer restrictions on the importation of Bibles.

The Opportunity:

The State Department report, on a much more positive note, observes that there were no significant societal actions affecting religious freedom. This indicates that Cuba's relatively high restrictions on religion are unnecessary and that fewer controls would likely set free positive contributions of faith to society.

In Global Perspective:

An ongoing Pew Research study scores Cuba among nearly 200 countries and territories on two 10-point indexes:

The Government Restrictions Index (GRI) measures government laws, policies and actions that restrict religious beliefs and practices. The GRI is comprised of 20 measures of restrictions, including efforts by governments to ban particular faiths, prohibit conversions, limit preaching or give preferential treatment to one or more religious groups.

The Social Hostilities Index (SHI) measures acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society. This includes religion-related armed conflict or terrorism, mob or sectarian violence, harassment over attire for religious reasons or other religion related intimation or abuse. The SHI includes 13 measures of social hostilities.

The chart below shows Cuba's relative position on these two indexes. Cuba has among the world's most socially open society's to religion, as indicated by having no reported social hostilities involving religion (SHI). By contrast, Cuba has high government restrictions on religion (GRI). Below the chart, see the table of countries with governments imposing high and very high restrictions on religion. Among the world's countries, Cube ranks 42nd.

The report argues that it is time for the United States to join the rest of the world by naming it "genocide" and by taking action against it as required by law. The report documents ISIS’ activities, including killings, rapes, torture, kidnappings, bombings and the destruction of religious property and monuments.

The executive summary of the report states that the "European Parliament, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and the Iraqi and Kurdish governments have labeled ISIS’ actions genocide. Political leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — have done likewise. Indeed, Secretary of State John Kerry in August 2014 stated: “ISIL’s campaign of terror against the innocent, including Yezidi (sic) and Christian minorities, and its grotesque and targeted acts of violence bear all the warning signs and hallmarks of genocide.”

"Pope Francis and Cyril, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, have decried the genocide in these countries against Christians and other religious groups. Most movingly, archbishops and patriarchs of ancient Christian communities in Syria and Iraq have spoken out clearly against this crime and cried over the blood of their people and ISIS’ efforts to rid their homelands forever of the Christian faithful.

"None of these declarations of genocide excluded Christians, who, with the other religious minorities in the region, have endured targeted attacks at the hands of this radical group and its affiliates because of their religious beliefs.

ABOUT THE KNGHTS OF COLUMBUS: Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity. The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works. The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy worldwide to service in communities. The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more than 15,100 councils and 1.9 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea.

​"On February 4, the Knights of Columbus co-authored a letter to Secretary Kerry requesting a meeting to brief him on evidence that established that the situation confronting Christians and other religious minorities constitutes genocide. While there has never been an official response to that letter, the Knights of Columbus were contacted by senior State Department officials who requested our assistance in making the case that Christians are victims of genocide at the hands of ISIS. Given the specificity of the information requested, our focus in this report is on the situation confronting Christians in areas that are or have been under ISIS control, primarily in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

"ISIS has also targeted Yazidis and other religious minority groups in a manner consistent with genocide. Thus, our contention is not that Christians should be designated as the sole group facing genocide, but rather, that given the overwhelming evidence and the international consensus on this issue, that the United States government should not exclude Christians from such a finding. Doing so would be contrary to fact."

The evidence the report presents to the State Department has three major components:

An executive summary

A legal brief detailing the case for genocide against Christians

Substantial addenda, including original source material, reports from NGOs documenting the situation, evidence provided to the European Parliament during their consideration of this issue, lists of atrocities, and similar data.

The Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awardsrecognize business leaders – current or past CEOs – who have demonstrated leadership in championing interfaith understanding and peace.

​Awards will be presented on September 6, 2016, at the start of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where award recipients will have the opportunity to present their commitmentto interfaith understanding and peace while contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.*

The Awards are a partnership initiative of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF), its Brazilian affiliate, the Associação pela Liberdade Religiosa e Negócios (ALRN), and the United Nations Global Compact Business for Peace (B4P) platform.

NOMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED IN FOUR CATEGORIES:

Core businessChampioning interfaith understanding and peace through a company’s core business operations, including internal procedures, human resources hiring practices, training, product/service development, sourcing policies, supply chains, as well as the development of products and services that promote interfaith understanding and peace.

Social investment and philanthropyFinancial and in-kind contributions, and strategic social investment support for NGOs, UN and multilateral agencies or directly to affected communities and/or contribution of functional expertise through volunteering efforts.

Advocacy and public policy engagementFostering social cohesion and inter-group dialogue and relationship-building in the workplace, marketplace and local community.

Partnership and collective actionJoining forces with Governments, UN entities, civil society organizations and/or other businesses to act collectively to promote interfaith understanding and peace and forge long-term partnerships for local or regional economic and sustainable development.

Interfaith Understanding and Peace as Prerequisites for Business SuccessInterfaith understanding – and its contribution to peace – is in the interest of business. Recent research shows that economic growth and global competitiveness are stronger when social hostilities involving religion are low and Government respect for the universally recognized human right of freedom of religion or belief is high.

Interfaith understanding also strengthens businessby reducing corruption and encouraging broader freedoms while also increasing trust and fostering respect. Research shows that laws and practices stifling religion are related to higher levels of corruption. Similarly, religious freedom highly correlates with a range of social and economic goods, such as better health care and higher incomes for women.

Positively engaging around the issue of interfaith understanding also helps business to advance trust and respectwith consumers, employees and possible partner organizations, which can give companies a competitive advantage as sustainability and ethics come to the forefront of engagement with society.

* SDG-16: Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.